Arsenal traveled to Eindhoven in a state of not knowing who would shoulder the burden of scoring. However, they left the Netherlands after beating PSV 7-1 to establish the biggest away win in the history of the Champions League qualifying round.
With midfielder Mikel Merino playing in the striker position once again, the "Gunners" have overcome recent shortcomings in attack with a brutal performance. This victory could give them more confidence in the coming time.
"It's obvious that it's given us a lot of fun, confidence and confidence. In football, it's not what we did 3 days ago or today, but what we will do tomorrow. We came to Old Trafford, then there was the way we behaved, the way we played and whether we could win a game or not" - said coach Mikel Arteta.
The PSV is too bad. Although this was the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, some fans started leaving Philips Stadion 3 minutes after the second half started. At that time, Leandro Trossard took advantage of the home team's silly defense to score the fifth goal for Arsenal.
PSV have conceded 29 goals in 14 games since the start of 2025 and head coach Peter Bosz is under increasing pressure. Remember, no team in the history of the Champions League has come back from such a heavy defeat in the first leg.
In fact, PSV have never conceded more than 4 goals at home in a European Cup match throughout their 112-year history. The return match next week at the Emirates is now just a procedure for PSV.
Jurrien Timber believes the PSV game is an opportunity for Arsenal to "change the story" around the club due to the absence of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. These injuries have made their chances of winning the Premier League vulnerable, 13 points behind Liverpool.
PSV's weakness helped the Gunners easily win. However, it is undeniable that this will be a challenge for Arsenal in the context of the absence of many key strikers.
Arteta said there was still a lot of work to do in the return match at the Emirates. But the reality is that now he can plan a trip to Manchester United without paying attention to PSV.
Therefore, the win over PSV has both a recovery effect and an opportunity for Arsenal to rest in a race that will take place continuously after the international break at the end of this month.
More difficult matches await them. Arsenal will meet Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid if they reach the quarter-finals, but at least, the "Gunners" fans have returned to confidence.
"This is very important, but to reach a new height, we need to reach a completely different level. Arsenal have done many things that other teams have not been able to do for many years," Arteta said when asked about the importance of the win over PSV.
